1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to accurately finding the position of a pipeline using a mapping probe. In general, tap water pipelines and sewer pipelines are embedded under the ground and it is difficult to locate those pipelines visually or through a communication means. Accordingly, it is possible to locate the entire pipelines by putting a mapping probe into pipelines and finding real-time position information of a mapping probe.
2. Description of Related Art
As a related art of the present invention, there is Korean Patent Application Publication No. 10-2012-0133484. FIG. 1 is, a diagram showing, a system for putting and taking a mapping probe into and out of a pipeline of the related art and FIG. 2 is a flowchart, illustrating a process of moving a mapping probe through a pipeline. In FIG. 1, a system for putting and taking a mapping probe into and out of a pipeline of the related art includes a launcher 100-1 for putting, a mapping probe P, which collects various data for 3D mapping while moving along a pipeline (for example, a tap water pipeline under the ground), into a pipe line 1 and a receiver 200-1 for taking the mapping probe P out of the pipeline. In this configuration, first and second main valves 3 and 5 for respectively stopping and allowing water supply, are disposed at the start point and the end point of the pipeline in a mapping section. The launcher 100-1 includes a first checking section 110 and a stopper 150, in which the first checking section is disposed between the first main valve 3 and an end of a pipeline 1 to be mapped (hereafter, referred to as “object pipeline”) which is the start point of a mapping section of the pipeline 1. The first checking section has an entrance hole having a predetermined diameter at the top through which the mapping probe P is put inside and the entrance hole is opened/closed by a door 130. The first checking section has a first pressure gauge 113 at aside and the first pressure gauge 113 can indirectly find the current position of the mapping probe P by finding out a pressure change in, the object pipeline 1 in cooperation with a second pressure gauge 217 in a body 210 of the receiver 200-1. The door 130 has an air discharge valve 131 that communicates with the first checking section, on the top, and an eye nut is coupled to the door 130 to easily open/close the door 130. The stopper 150 temporarily forcibly fixes the mapping probe P put in the first checking section through the entrance hole. The stopper 150 has a slide shaft disposed through the door 130 and a pressure bolt moving up/down the slide shaft. In this configuration, the pressure bolt is connected to a movable bolt to change the position. The stopper 150 includes a pressure member coupled to the lower end of the slide shaft and fixing a portion of the mapping probe P under pressure in the launcher. In this configuration, the pressure member is connected to the lower end of the slide shaft by a hinge H. The receiver 200-1 includes a body 210, a door 230, a pair of flow control ports, a rear discharge port 270, and a shock-absorbing unit 290. The body 210 communicates with an extension line 171 diverging from the second checking section 170 and has an extraction hole for taking the mapping probe P out of the body 210 at the top and a door 230 for opening/closing the extraction hole. The second pressure gauge 217 is disposed at a side of the body 210. In this configuration, a second main valve is disposed at a side of the second checking section 170, so it controls stopping/allowing of water supply in cooperation with the first main valve 3. An air discharge valve 231 that communicates with the body 210 is disposed on the top of the door 230 and an eye nut is coupled to the door 230 to easily open/close the door 230. A pair of flow control ports controls the speed of the mapping probe P moving in the object pipeline 1 by changing a flow speed by controlling discharge of water filled in the object pipeline 1. The pair of flow control ports has the same size and length and symmetrically diverge from the body 210 to both side of the, body 210. A valve and a flow meter for controlling discharge of water from the object pipeline 1 are disposed in each of the pair of flow control ports. A worker can maintain, a uniform flow rate in the object pipeline 1 even if mapping is performed several times, by checking a flow speed in the object pipeline 1 from the flow meter and controlling the flow speed. The rear discharge port 270 discharges the water in the body 210 so that the mapping probe P reaching the body 210 is guided into the body 210 and fully docked. In this configuration, the rear discharge port 270 has a valve 271 for controlling discharge of water. The shock-absorbing unit 290 prevents a rapid increase of the final hit value collected by the mapping probe P by stopping the mapping probe P docked in the body 210 and by absorbing shock power applied to the mapping probe P when it is stopped. The shock-absorbing unit 290 includes a hitting member and a plurality of arrival indication rods. The hitting member is disposed in the body 210 substantially at a height corresponding to the center of the front end of the mapping probe. The hitting member may be made of a material having predetermined elasticity. The arrival indication rods are disposed in the body 210 to elastically support the hitting member so that the hitting member is moved in parallel with the movement of the mapping probe P. In this configuration, a coil spring is disposed between the hitting, member and the arrival indication rod. Further, the arrival indication rods partially protrude out of the body 210, and they further protrude out of the body 210 when the mapping probe P hits against the shock-absorbing unit 290 after being docked in the body 210, so a worker can easily visually determine that the mapping probe P has reached the receiver 200-1.
In the process of moving a mapping probe through a pipeline, water supply is stopped by closing the first and second main valves 3 and 5 at both ends of the object pipeline 1 (S1). In this case, with the water supply stopped, water in the object pipeline 1 is naturally discharged, and accordingly a predetermined empty space is defined in the object pipeline 1. The mapping probe P is put inside through the first checking section of the launcher 100-1 and then the door is closed (S2). In this state, a portion of the mapping probe P is pressed by moving down the pressure member of the stopper 150 and accordingly the mapping probe P is forcibly fixed between the pressure member and the inner side of the first checking section (S3). Next, the pair of flow control ports of the receiver 200-1 at the mapping end point of the object pipeline 1 are opened (S4) and the dosed first and second main valves 3 and 5 are closed, thereby filling the object pipeline with water (55). When object the pipelines 1 is filled with water, the empty space in the object pipeline 1 is removed. After filling the object pipeline with water, flow rate is controlled by operating the pair of flow control ports (S6). Accordingly, desired pressure and flow speed in the object pipeline 1 are set. Next, the mapping probe P is released by opening the stopper 150 (S7). In this case, the mapping probe P collects mapping data while moving at a stable speed, that is, an optimal speed for collection of mapping data by the water flowing through the object pipeline 1. Thereafter, when the mapping probe P is fully enters the body 210 of the receiver 200-1, water supply to the object pipe 1 is stopped by closing the first and second, main valves 3 and 5 (S8). In this case, the shock-absorbing unit 290 minimizes shock when the mapping probe P is docked in the body 210, so the mapping probe P stably stops. Finally, the door of the receiver 210 is, opened and the mapping probe P is taken out of the body 210 (S9). As described above, by stabilizing flow rate and flow speed in the objective pipeline 1, the mapping probe P can collect reliable mapping data while stably moving through the object pipeline 1.